billion book
Chapter 11
The end of the red carpet was buzzing with a crowd.
Marian stood right in the middle. She was dressed simply, in a style that suggested she had just come back from a morning walk in the park, with a long coat and trousers. Despite her silver hair, she looked much younger than her age, with a bright spirit, clear eyes, and barely noticeable wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Her slightly plump face still retained its collagen. 'A true example of aging gracefully,' Chloe thought to herself.
Behind her was a podium loaded with gifts from the guests, various gift boxes, large and small, already stacked high. At that moment, Lisa was presenting a square brocade box as a gift.
"Ma’am, this is from my family, a custom jewelry set from QUEEN, valued at eight million dollars."
QUEEN was an internationally renowned luxury jewelry brand that had taken the world by storm just three years ago. Its exquisite designs had quickly become a favorite among the global elite.
Marian glanced at the jewelry in the box and smiled, "Thank you, Ms. Lisa."
Lisa continued, "I'm glad you like it. The price isn't a big deal. Everyone knows that QUEEN only accepts private commissions, and each piece is unique. It took me a lot of effort to acquire this necklace because I felt that only something unique as QUEEN could match your status."
Marian raised her hand, signaling a waiter to take away the gift box. Before Lisa could finish, the waiter had already taken the box, casually placing it behind a pile of gifts, where it was instantly lost among them.
"The next gift is from the Francis family of Eldridge City," the butler announced loudly, reading from the gift registry. Before entering, everyone had to register their names at the entrance and then present their gifts to Marian. They all appeared in the order of their arrival.
Lisa had much more to say but was abruptly interrupted by the butler. She reluctantly moved aside, standing next to Leah. She couldn't understand why the Meadows family's generous and valuable gift hadn't made more of an impression. Not even a whisper of praise or admiration was heard from the surrounding guests.
But Lisa soon understood why. The prestigious families of Eldridge City had brought gifts of immense value. Imperial emerald carvings, ancient porcelain, topaz vases, and antique paintings and calligraphy were all worth millions. In comparison, her eight-million-dollar jewelry seemed insignificant.
"The next gift is from the Moncada family of Riverbrook."
Chloe and Lucas stepped forward together, and Lisa's gaze fell on Chloe. As Chloe presented her gift, a mocking smile appeared on Lisa's face. Chloe opened her brocade box, revealing small pieces of incense, each the length of a finger. The box was neatly packed with these incense sticks.
"Ma’am, I hope you like the gifts we prepared."
Lisa knew of Chloe's hobby of making incense. How could such a trivial hobby stand out in such a setting? Chloe was too full of herself. All of Marian's gifts were priceless treasures. How could such an inexpensive item be worthy of such an occasion?
Marian picked up the box, smelled it, and smiled broadly, "Thank you, Ms. Chloe."
Chloe was slightly taken aback. How did Marian know her name when she had registered as Mrs. Moncada? Just as Marian was about to have someone put the gift away, Lisa suddenly stepped forward. "I heard Mrs. Moncada has a hobby of making incense. Could you have made this incense yourself?"
Chloe had noticed Lisa from the beginning. Chloe smiled, "Yes, this is a little hobby of mine. This particular incense is called 'Royal Immersed Rose,' and it is made with roses, agarwood, and various spices. I mixed them using ancient methods..."
A hint of triumph appeared in Lisa's eyes. Before Chloe could finish, she eagerly interjected, "Presenting something you casually made as an important birthday gift for Mrs. Sartori's seventieth is a bit disrespectful, don't you think? How much could such a small box of incense cost, a thousand dollars or ten thousand?"